How to Get the Most Out of Your Budget Airline Journey

With the advent of low-cost airlines has come the realisation that more and more of us can now travel to places we never thought we would get to visit. This is a blessing, but it is important to know how to get the most out of them too, to enable a more comfortable, and even cheaper onwards journey.

Grab a blanket, a neck pillow, a good book and get ready to jet off to somewhere far-flung!

Costs can be cut even further if you’re a little clever with how you get to the airport itself, and for that I always drive myself, and book my parking spot at the airport with Airparks.co.uk. I do this regularly, and I’ve tried several different airports and their parking services, proving that this is a nationwide service. I have recently used parking at Stansted, and found a fantastic price and service. You basically take your time getting to the airport, park up, knowing that your car is safe for the duration of your time away, and when you land, it’s there waiting for you. Check it out for yourself to lower the cost of your travel even further, when compared to costly public transport!

Finding a cheap flight isn’t a problem, but be aware that the price you see at the initial quote screen is rarely the price you end up paying in the end, because there are often add-ons to take into consideration. For example, with Jet 2, you have to pay if you want to check in at the airport, as they are encouraging more people to check in online, so consider doing this to save a little more cash, and obviously save yourself time at the check in desk.

Skyscanner is often the place to find the cheapest flights, as the site will search all airlines, low cost and otherwise, to find you the best fare for your needs. You can split book this way too, i.e. use one airline for your outbound flight, and a different one for your inbound, so you’re able to take advantage of lower cost deals with different companies.

It’s also a good idea to think about your luggage needs. For example, Easy Jet don’t have a weight allowance for hand luggage, provided the bag you use fits within their set dimensions, so if you’re going away for a short time, it’s easy to be a little ruthless with your packing, and avoid the need to book a suitcase onto your journey. This can often save you around the £40 mark for a return flight. Jet 2 also offers a generous 10kg hand luggage amount, and you’d be amazed what you can fit in 10kg! You just need to be careful with your liquids, but other than that, this is a good option for saving money.

I personally wouldn’t bother with booking meals, if they’re offered to you, because if your flight isn’t that long, you can buy a sandwich at the airport, and let’s face it, airline food isn’t exactly gourmet, even though it has come on leaps and bounds over recent years! I would however consider booking extra leg room if at all possible, to avoid cramped seating arrangements.

Taking all this into account, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t grab that low cost airline deal with both hands, and use it to your financial advantage, after all, if it gets you from A to B in relative comfort, that’s all you need!